Colonel Rawne
Major Elim Rawne, '''''or simply Major Rawne, is the second officer of the Tanith 1st. He is the highest ranked Tanith born, and has command of B Company. Often dubbed 'Major fething Rawne, Rawne is famous in the regiment for his dark cynicism as well as his tactical nous and fighting skills. He is refered to as srahke by Eszrah, which in the old Nihtgane tongue means: the keen-ness of a newly whetted dagger's edge. Rawne was one of the Gereon 12. Appearance Rawne is described as having a slim, dangerously handsome face, and it has been obsereved that he resembles a dagger or a knife both in looks, as well as in personality. He has a lean, musceled physique, and stands a few inches shorter than many of the taller men in the regiment, such as Gaunt. He has a blue starburst tattoo over his right eye. Personality For a long time, Rawne was seen as the dark side of the Tanith 1st, a deceitful, untrustworthy schemer who would do his job but not one who you would turn your back on. In the early days, he bore a pure hatred for Gaunt, and this was shared amongst the men of his much maligned 3rd Platoon. He had a seemingly limitless cynical streak, and a dark, sarcastic wit. However, as time went on his approach and attitude softened, although he continued to harbour serious misgivings about almost everyone, and was as brutal as always. His darker personality traits have more than once drawn the attention of manipulators, but each time his sense of his duty, never misplaced, has always kept him firm. Early Life and Background Not a great deal is known about Rawne's life on Tanith. He was a from a rich family of merchants and politicians , and grew up in Tanith Attica, but due to being a third son had no prospect of real power as part of the business. Instead, he indulged in what he has described as being a 'misspent youth', which involved a dubious familiarity with explosives. Unable to advance himself further as part of the family, he joined the Tanith Attica Militia along with Murtan Feygor, where they first met. The two indulged in a highly fruitful racketeerer operation, which only fell apart when the Imperium's call for arms was answered by the Elector. Rawne signed up, as did Feygor, for the first founding, and was stationed on the founding fields when Tanith was attacked. He shared a tent with Hlaine Larkin and Colm Corbec. The Tanith 1st Following the fall of Tanith, and with the 1st now in transit, a trio of Tanith troops, Corbec, Milo and Rawne, visited Gaunt in his quarters to make clear the discontentment with the situation felt among the regiment. After a brief debate over the merits of not allowing the men to fight for their planet, Gaunt reeled them in by giving Corbec and Rawne officer posts and ranks. Based on his strength and charisma, he made Corbec a Colonel, and Rawne was made a Major due to his intelligence and fierce tongue, rationalising that since they were sent to speak to him, then they must be seen as the leaders among the troops. Gobsmacked, the new officers left Gaunt's rooms. (Ghostmaker, 1998) Blackshard & Murder Attempt At Blackshard, Early Battles with the Regiment Animosity with Gaunt For a long time, Rawne's main motivation in life was his feral hatred of Gaunt, a resentment born from his commanding officer's decision to pull the regiment off Tanith rather than let them fight to defend it. This resentment was demonstrated first by his attempt to kill Gaunt at Blackshard, and also by him openly stating that he would one day "kill Gaunt with his own hands" on a number of occasions. This animosity, which saw Gaunt distrust his third officer intensely, often meant that Gaunt would not turn his back on Rawne or allow him a place in his circle of trust, such as during their trip on the Absalom. Gaunt refers to Rawne, and his third platoon "lackies", as malcontents. This works both ways, with Third Platoon's hostility at their status in the eyes of the commander making them far more dangerous and unwelcoming, despite their effectiveness in the field and ruthlessnes, as personified by the likes of Feygor and Meryn. However, after serving for some time under Gaunt and admiring his command authority and respect for his men, Rawne's attitude started to soften, making him slightly more mellow and more trustworthy in the eyes of Gaunt, until eventually the two men were able to share a drink at Cirenholm and begin resorting to a first name basis. Eventually, Gaunt proved that Rawne had come around sufficiently in his eyes when he was picked as part of the Gereon 12 over the likes of Kolea and Daur. After Gereon, despite one particular incident there, the two became, in Gaunt's words, "best friends". Relationships Murtan Feygor Jessi Banda Rawne and Banda were in some form of relationship prior to Gereon. After the Gereon team was reported dead, Banda developed a relationship with Captain Flyn Meryn. Category:Tanith Born Category:Majors Category:Colonels